Revitalize Your Church

The problem with being a bridge, is that you get stepped on from both sides.

Pastors are invited to join in a personal conversation via webcast with Pastor Rick Warren from our Nation's Capitol, today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern (1:00 p.m. Central.) Rick will connect with pastors from around the world about his experiences and insights following the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Monday and the Inauguration of President Barrack Obama on Tuesday. .

I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn’t agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony. Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America. The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God’s blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America’s leaders during this critical time in our nation’s history.

Listening to the news, one would think that Obama picked Fred Phelps to say the Inauguration Prayer. The virulent backlash is unwarranted. President-elect Obama is right to hold his ground on this one. The irony is that if you look at the wide spectrum between conservative fundamentalism and left-wing liberalism, Rick is in the middle between them. He's a moderate, for heaven's sake! Some are calling him a gay-hating bigot. At the same time, fundamentalist watchdog groups are calling him a wolf in sheep's clothing. John Leo has made some insightful observations at Huffington Post. The problem with being a bridge is that you get stepped on from both sides!

America's pastor, Rick Warren, has been invited to give the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration. Just think -- a few years ago Rick was having tacos with me. Now, he's hobnobbing with presidents.

Over 15 years ago, I had the privilege of having lunch with Rick Warren. A couple of other guys and I met him at his office, and we walked to a little taco shop. I agreed to buy the tacos. They were 49 cents each -- and that was the best investment on a buck I've ever made! I went to talk to him about how to grow a church -- instead, he turned it around and talked about growing disciples through small groups. He also enthusiastically promoted church planting -- the best way to reach new people is through new churches. That conversation so long ago, still lives in me. I have seen the tremendous value of small groups in the spiritual formation of people -- and this year, like a time bomb, the "church planting" enthusiasm has exploded in my heart. Now, once again I am inspired by his vision. A warrior is measured by the size of his opponents. Rick Warren is quite a warrior. He's attempting to take on some hefty opponents. 1. Spiritual Darkness 2. Lack of Servant Leaders ...